Off the Beaten Path

Everyone should have a chance to experience the magic of snow-draped sequoia, and this year, conditions are perfect. There’s plenty of snow and plenty of ways to get out and enjoy it. So if you’re craving a day in the forest, here are some ideas for where to go and what to do when the snow falls.

Trees are living, breathing beings; it’s easy to forget. Even those among the mightiest of them—the coast redwood, for instance—can seem mundane, ubiquitous in everyday signage, their timber hidden in the bones of Northern California buildings and homes. But to some, man’s connection to trees can be almost palpable.

Did you know the ancient coast redwoods that once stood in the San Francisco Bay Area’s East Bay were thought to have been some of the largest? Now you can learn about this history and see the footprint of a giant redwood that once stood in Roberts Regional Recreation Area. The League and East Bay Regional Park District recently unveiled a permanent exhibit.

Every second Saturday of each month in 2018, Save the Redwoods League and California State Parks will be hosting a Free Redwoods Day. Parking passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis each month, ahead of the next event. Our next event is on November 10 — download your free pass now!

Thank you for being a part of the League family and for joining us at the many events and activities held during Centennial Celebration Week from October 7–14! All of us at the League have enjoyed meeting so many dedicated members and supporters and celebrating a century of work together during this special week.

Fueled by California’s Gold Rush in the 1850’s, Oakland’s ancient redwood forest was drastically cut to help build San Francisco. But one old tree was left behind, and with the amazing conservation efforts in the early 1900’s, a second-growth forest around the “Old Survivor” tree was protected as parkland for future generations.

To celebrate its 100th birthday during October, Save the Redwoods League invites everyone to #Stand4Redwoods and visit one of the 100+ redwood parks across California — for free! That’s 100 parks for 100 years. This expanded “birthday edition” of our Second Saturdays program will take place in October only. The October free entrance day is Saturday, October 13th, but you must first download your pass.

Fortunately, there are pockets in The City (as Bay Area residents know and love it) where locals and visitors can experience the redwoods, both virtually and tangibly. No need to even hop on any freeways or cross any bridges. ETA: less than an hour.

Save the Redwoods League is bringing the beauty of the redwood forest to thousands of commuters at San Francisco’s Montgomery Street train station from September 17 through October 15, 2018. For this limited time, images of the coast redwood forest cover the walls, floor, and ceiling of a 180-foot tunnel accessible on Sansome Street just north of Sutter Street in the Financial District.

Every second Saturday of each month in 2018, Save the Redwoods League and California State Parks will be hosting a Free Redwoods Day. Parking passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis each month, ahead of the next event. Our next event is on September 8 — download your free pass now!

Every second Saturday of each month in 2018, Save the Redwoods League and California State Parks will be hosting a Free Redwoods Day. Parking passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis each month, ahead of the next event. Our next event is on August 11 — download your free pass now!

A hand-drawn map by celebrated naturalist John Muir. Correspondence to the League from President Barack Obama, including a photo of his family. A signed letter from John F. Kennedy endorsing a grove, dated shortly before his death. These treasures, and more, tell the story of Save the Redwoods League, and are part of an illuminating exhibit at UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library, called Sustaining Grandeur.

It has been 100 years since the founders of Save the Redwoods League first resolved to protect California’s redwood forests — a mission that would build momentum for America’s conservation movement and create and expand world-renowned redwood parks — crown jewels of the state and national park systems. So now, in our Centennial year, we’re hosting a week-long celebration October 7-14, 2018 to honor that legacy, renew our commitment to protecting and restoring these remarkable forests, and celebrate the dedication of all those who came before us to save the redwoods.

Every second Saturday of each month in 2018, Save the Redwoods League and California State Parks will be hosting a Free Redwoods Day. Parking passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis each month, ahead of the next event. Our next event is on July 14 — download your free pass now!

At the California Academy of Science’s new Giants of Land and Sea exhibit, you can explore the forest canopy virtually through an immersive video experience, walk through a fog room to feel how this fixture of coastal climate bathes the redwoods during the summer, and learn about the intrinsic connection between the forest and Pacific Ocean.

Across 34 states, 880 children participated in the inaugural Reading the Redwoods contest, the first of its kind to encourage reading about these iconic national treasures. The free online contest ran for eight weeks and helped to foster a love for nature, forests, and especially redwoods.

No matter what you like to do outside, an unforgettable experience awaits you, your friends and family in California’s redwood parks. Nothing compares to standing in the cathedral-like groves, next to trees whose beauty and size is almost beyond belief, witnessing golden light filtering through the canopies, and seeing fairy-tale blankets of redwood sorrel and trillium on the forest floor. Our new, free Explore Coast Redwoods eguide can help make these experiences yours.

Every second Saturday of each month in 2018, Save the Redwoods League and California State Parks will be hosting a Free Redwoods Day. Parking passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis each month, ahead of the next event. Our next event is on June 9 — download your free pass now!